Motorola Granted Patent For Octagonal Shaped Phone Design

Motorola has had more than its fair share of struggles recently, but many people have assumed that the company is on the rise since its acquisition by Google. The thing is, none of the phones Motorola has released since that deal have had any Google input. Google has said several times that it has almost a year of Motorola product to go through before the two can release their first smartphone. Recently, rumors of a Motorola X Phone have started appearing, which some sources say is the next Nexus device. What we have been missing are leaked pictures of the device. A recent Motorola patent, however, may give us a slight hint as to the shape of the phone, though it’s extremely unlikely.

Earlier this week, the Untied States Patent Office approved a new “invention” by Motorola. Professor Sarah Burstein on Twitter was the first to notice the patent approval, and tweeted it out, as well as an image. The first thing you’ll notice about the image is the shape of the device. Instead of the normal rounded rectangle design, this patent is for a rounded octagon. While it seems crazy, it looks like an octogonal device would be relatively easy to hold in the hands.It is unlikely, however, that any upcoming Motorola device will use this design. Like usual these days, the company probably just applied this patent so it can have it its arsenal in the courtroom. Should this design become a common trend, then companies would be forced to pay a royalty to Motorola, or not use the design at all. Just to be clear, the patent is for any round octagonal shaped device, not any specific one. So, essentially, Motorola just did what Apple did when it patented the rounded rectangle design.

Companies acquiring design patents just for the sake of having them has become a far too common trend recently. A new law in the United States has made the process of obtaining one even easier, and companies have certainly taken advantage of it.

What do you think of an octagon-shaped device? Would you rather use it or a rounded rectangle? Let us know down in the comments!